Automatic inflater for vehicle wheel tires



June 22, 1937. N. D'. CAMPBELL 4,

AUTOMATIC INFLATER'FOR VEHICLE WHEEL TIRES Filed Sept. 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORY ATTORNEY.

June 22, 1937. N. D. CAMPBELL 2,084,381

AUTOMATIC INFLATER FOR VEHICLE WHEEL TIRES Filed Sept. 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 22, 1937 AUTOMATIC INFLATER FOR VEHICLE. WHEEL TIRES 1 Nicholas D emarest Campbell, 'Hackensack, N. J;

Application sesame; 11, iessjser'iai ee 10,121 v 1.

3 Claims. 015152-911) My invention relates to improvements in automatic inflaters for vehicle wheel tires, and it consists in the novel features which are here;

inafter described. I One of the objects of my invention is :to provide automatic means for inflating pneumatic tires for automobiles and other vehicles while the latter are in motion, wherebyto compensate for the leakage of compressed air from the tires which may be caused by punctures or otherwise.

Another object is to initially inflate a tire by' the energy of the rolling of the wheels of a vehil-j cle, such as an automobile.

A further object of my invention is toprovide a safety valve to act in association with my autoe matic inflating means, whereby to limit the pres-Z sure of the air in the tire..

A still other object'is to have simple, compact and comparatively inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

I attain these objects the automatic in flater for pneumatic vehicle wheel tires; illuse; trate'din the accompanying drawings or byanyi.

mechanical equivalent or obvious modification of the same.

In. the drawings Fig. l is a fragmentary sec-' tional View of my inflater in the plane of the is a view oimy, inflater partly'in elevationfand' partly in section on the line 2-2 of Fig 1 'in a.

\ plane disposed transversely to the plane'of a 5 vehicle wheel, which is equipped withrmy inflater. '7 .i

Fig. 2 also shows an attachment tof my in flater, which is hereinafter-described, and which may be omitted, iidesired.

Similar numerals refer. to, similar parts throughout the several'viewsz' I I designates the felly of an automobile wheel and I2 the demountable rim of the same,

A cylinder I3 is shown as passing through an 45 opening in the felly I I and; through another,

opening in the rim I2 and is radially disposed with relation to the wheel. I

A nut I4- is shown in engagement with a threaded part I5 on theouter periphery'of the 50 cylinder I3, and is abutting at the end thereof againstthe inner periphery of the felly II; an-

other nut I6 is also inengagementrwith. the

threaded part I5 and is abuttingagainst the inner periphery of the rim I2. The nut's' lfand 55 I6 are keeping the cylinder I3 m position to'pre my. automatic. means for inflating pneumatic tires relatively vehicle wheel passing throughithe axisof 'the air compressing cylinder of my inflater'g Fi,g.l 2;

vent longitudinal displacement of the cylinder. I3

To provideagainst rotary displacement offth'e cylinder I3, I provide .a set-screw or .pin I'I whiclifl passesthrough-a socket,. l8 in. the side'o r flange; I 9 of the felly II to engage: an ,ppenmgi Min;

1 the wall of thecylinder I3.

V A piston or plunger 2 I, having thereon resilient}; packing rings 22, is slidably. positioned in ;thfe

interior of the cylinder I3 to reciprocate therein.

1 The piston 2-I. terminates at thei outerflend thereof in abif urcation 23 which is shown as. pivotally connected bymeans of. av pin ZAtothei? inner end. of a connecting rod .25 which isshown as broken away at the middle part thereofj to indicate that connecting rods of difierentlengths may be employed, if desired; for a purpose. which. is hereinafter described. k 1. 1l

The gout'ei end ofthe c: ,linder I3 passes thri ll h an Qpening ZIiinthe.inner.peripheryof the 'i tube 21 of a ,pneumatictire andIha'sthereona; fl n d hea whi h s d d n ri r r f? the said tube 21 and has the inner annular-end thereof abutting against a metal ,washer; g9,

which, is; thereby pressed against ,anannular'.

pa in 5 whi i e Q-sedb w en the washer 29 and the. inner surface, of the inner;. periphery of .the-tube'-21, whereby leakage is; prevented through the-opening;2 6.- Y 4 Another annular packingvfl isplaced cone;

tac t,with the outer-surface. of: the inner peripheery of the tube 21, and another annulanmetai washer; 32, isinterposed 'between the packing 3I andwthe inner' si'de of the flangesof theishoe 5i;- whiclrrest on the outer; periphery of the rim- 12 to;protiect the inner: tube 2! against wear and also to assist in preventing leakage.

i The outer end' of the; rod 25 is pivotally: coil a nested byimeans' of;a;ip in 33 to anexteriorly; threaded-plug 34, which extends inwardly, throughianopening 34a in the outer periphery of the tube 21 and terminates;in a-flanged head orplaterlfiswhich is positioned exteriorly to the tube:2;1.,;-;; i H 1 The pins. 24 "and 33 are disposedim planes which are perpendicular to .each other, whereby the rod 25 is" adapted to serve as a, universal'jointi A complete universal joint may be provided.- for each-end of theirod 25, if desired. *Thiflug '34 is inthreaded engage V 'ent' with a nut 3fij'whichnbuts'"against: a metal washer 31, vh' h s ewe b me n a pe hefififf ni the; inner surface or the outer periphery" or tn tube .21, 36 against the packing 38"andthe tube 21', where'- ahd thf Washer 31 'is'pressed by the nut i by leakage of compressed air is prevented through the opening 34a. The flanged head 35 is spaced from the outer surface of the outerfperiphery of the tube 21;

a As shown in Fig. 1, the flanged head 35 forms the outermost part of my inflater.

, As the wheel of an automobile, which is equipped with my inflater, is rolling along on the road the flanged head 35 will receive the reaction from the road through the-shoe 5| and transmit it to .the connecting. rod 25, which in turn will push the piston 2| towards the inner end of the cylinder-l3, thereby compressing the air, which is contained in the latter, and discharg-. ing it through an opening in a spout 4| at the,

inner end of the cylinder |3 into the adjacent and V of a tube 42 which is curved in part and is shown asfconnecte v at one endthereof to thespout4l by means of a union 43. distance between, the nut and the head 28 this distance is shown in Fig. 1 as, shorter than the length of the interior of the cylinder l3 inwardly of the piston 2| when the latter isin its outer- 35 most position. V V

.Anlaircompression space is thereby formed at the inner end of the cylinder; the size of this air compression space determines the highest pressureof the air reachedin the cylinder l3.

By employing connecting rods 25 of different lengths, the size of this space may be varied, and with it also the highest pressure of the air reached in the cylinder |3. A check valve may be placed either in the cylinderadjacentthe spout 4| or between the spout 4| and the union 43, the check valve 'to close by a flowofair towards the cylinder Band to open by the-flow of air from the cylinder l3 towards the tube 42, whereby to prevent a backflow of air from the tube 42 into the cylinder |3 when the piston 2| is moved outwardly inthe cylinder l3. r

The tube 42 is shown as extending through the casing 44 ofa safety valve 45 and is in communication through an opening 39 in the middle part of the tube 42 with the interior of the casing44. i

The other end of the tube 42 is shown as; connected by means of an elbow 46 to the inner end of ahipple 41, which has the outer end thereof connected "by-means of a union 48 to'the valve spout 49 of the inner tube 21.

The safety valve 45' may be ofstandard con 7 7 which reduction may be causedby the shorten- The stroke of the piston 2| is limited by the" enough to the inner end of the cylinder-|3=to produce in the latter at; the end of the said ing of the stroke of the piston which may be produced by a decrease in the deflection of the tube 21 as the pressure of the air therein rises.

-An excess of pressure may, therefore, be produced in the cylinder I3, which discharged into the tube 42.

The compressed air fromthe tube 42 passes through the nipple, 41 and valve spout .49 into the inner tube 2'l,until a desired air pressure is reached, whereupon the compressed air from the tube 42 is passed through the safety valve '45 and discharged throughone or more exhaust and may be locatedin the space between two ,adjacentspokes of the Wheel, where the space is ample for that purpose.

a In small sized wheels where theremay not be openings' 50 in the casing 44 of the safety valve enough room between any two spokes of the wheel, the cylinder |3fmay be placed in a space which is adjacent to that occupied by the valve spout 49, and the safety valve 45 may be placed at the side of a spoke of the wheel which separates, the said spaces and in a plane which is parallel to that of the cylinder l3; the ends of the tube 42 may then be suitably bent to connect with the spout 49 and the spout 4|, on the cylinderl3; the spout 4| may then be disposed on the cylinder' |.3to extend in a suitable direction to meet the corresponding end of the tube 42.

When the head or plate35 has been rolled by I V the wheel out of the influence of the road reaction the pressureof the compressed air in the tube 1;

21'will force the head 35 with the plug 34 thereon outwardly into contact with the shoe 5|, thereby causing. the rodj25 to return the piston 2| to its original position at theouter end of the cylinder I3, thereby causing air to be inspirated into the cylinder 13 through an inlet 59 in the cylinder l3 near the inner end of the latter; the inlet 591s controlled by ache'ck valve 60, which is actuated by a, spring 6|, to prevent the escape of air' through the inlet59 during the compression stroke of the piston 2|.

The spring 6| is shown as abuttingat one end thereof against the valve 60 and atthe other end thereof against a' collar 62 which is removably placedin the interiorof the cylinder [3 near the inner end thereof.

An air strainer 63 is held by a cap at the inlet 59. v a

For initiallyinflating the tube 21 the plug 34 inner end thereof with an additional outlet and a pejtcockor valve for controlling the same,

' may be moved outwardly'by a spring 52, which is whereby by opening the, pctcock or valve the air in the cylinder l3 will be discharged throughthe said outlet during the inward stroke. of the piston 2|, without being compressed.

This may be desirable when there is no puncture in the tire or, any other leakage therefrom.

By using a. throttle valve instead of a petcock, the escape of air through the said outlet may be restricted to any desired extent, whereby the amount of air compressed in the cylinder may be regulated and restricted to the amount which may be required to make up for the loss of air from the tire by leakage or otherwise.

By the above devices power of compressing superfluous air may be saved and also the noise of the continuous discharge of compressed air from the safety valve 45 may be avoided.

The spring 52 may be omitted, if desired, and the tube 21 may then be initially filled by compressed air from an external source.

To prevent the inner surface of the shoe 5! from being worn out by the head 35 at the place of contact with the latter, I provide an attachment plate 54 which is shown in Fig. 2 as placed against the outer surface of the shoe 5|, to contact with the road; the plate 54 has thereon at the inner side thereof a threaded stem 55, which is shown in Fig. 2 as extending inwardly and in engagement with an interiorly threaded portion of the plug 34, whereby the tube 2'! is connected to the shoe 5|, and excessive friction is prevented between the head'35 and the inner surface of the shoe 5!.

However, the attachment plate 54 with the stem 55 thereon may be omitted, if desired.

To prevent displacement of the nut 35 on the plug 34, I provide in the nut 35 openings 56 to receive therein set-screws or pins 5'! which extend into corresponding openings 58 in the plug 34.

Variations are possible and parts of my invention may be used without other parts.

I do not, therefore, restrict myself to the details as shown in the drawings.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A vehicle wheel having thereon a'pneumatio tire and automatic means on said wheel for compressing air into the tire during 'the rolling of the wheel on the road, said means comprising a pair of telescoping members, one

of said members being connected to the rim of the wheel, a connecting rod, pivotally connected at one end thereof to the other member, and a flanged tread member pivotally connected to the other end of said rod and. secured to the outer periphery of the tire, said pivotal connections being disposed in planes which are substantially at right angles to each other, thereby enabling" said tread'member to conform to the inequalities of the road.

2. A vehicle wheel having thereon a pneumatic tire, comprising a shoe and an inner tube in said shoe, and automatic means on said wheel for compressing air into the said tube during the rolling of the wheel on the road, combined with a road contact plate on the outer periphery'of said shoe, operatively connected to said aircompressing means. 7

3. A vehicle wheel having thereon a pneumatic tire, comprising a shoe and an inner tube in said shoe, and automatic means on said wheel for comprising air into the saidtube during the rolling of the wheel on the road, a flanged mem-- ber secured to the outer periphery of the said tube, means to prevent leakage of compressed air between said member and said tube, and a road contact plate on the outer periphery of said shoe, connected to said member, whereby to prevent the wearing away of the inner surface of said shoe by said member.

NICHOLAS DEMAREST CAMPBELL. 

